Poitier conviction sends clear message

December 1, 2011

When Broward County voters clearly supported a new county ethics code last year, the message they sent was unmistakable: Namely, the electorate here, as in other parts of South Florida, was sick of the corruption, the conflicts of interest, and the blatant contempt for the public trust.

Too many South Florida, and Broward, officials the past several years have wound up in handcuffs, before juries or negotiating plea deals. The latest politician to be found guilty of misconduct ranks among the best known and longest serving members of our community, former Deerfield Beach Commissioner Sylvia Poitier.

Long an advocate for affordable housing and always a strong voice for the needy, Poitier was found guilty last month of four misdemeanor counts related to falsifying records and failing to publicly reveal that her brother gave a $46,000 loan to a nonprofit agency that did business with the city.

No, it's hardly the most egregious of the crimes committed by Broward public officials, and Poitier, 76, is not expected to face jail time even though the maximum penalty is a one-year sentence. But it was still a crime and a violation of public trust, and the jury sent a clear message by coming back with a verdict in 90 minutes.

"It was kind of a no-brainer, really," jury foreman Dwayne Shorey told the Sun Sentinel. "The evidence was right in your face."

Poitier, who has 37 years of political experience and was appointed as the first black county commissioner in 1986, was not lacking for support during the trial. Several dozen people came in buses to the courthouse to show their support for a woman who for years was an outspoken voice for a segment of the community that is too often unheard.

We understand the sentiment. But the law is clear.

With all her political experience, with all her supposed political savvy, Poitier should have known to reveal a possible conflict before voting on a city grant that could have helped her brother. The good she has done for her community is not erased by the conviction, but it's a shame that her lengthy political career will have such a blemish.

She remains suspended from her four-year term during appeals, and state officials haven't decided what the next step will be. Her political future, if any, remains unclear.

But it's clear that public officials are on notice that they are being held to a high standard.

"The jury sent a crystal clear message to all elected officials in Broward County," said prosecutor David Schulson, "that they must be open and honest or there will be consequences."

Poitier is learning that the hard way. All public officials should learn from that, too.